MacDonald Harris
MacDonald Hastings
Full Name and Common Aliases
MacDonald Harris is an American author known professionally as MacDonald Hastings. He is often associated with his pen name.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on May 25, 1912, in Boston, Massachusetts, MacDonald Hastings passed away on April 5, 1991.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Hastings was an American writer of novels and non-fiction books, best known for his writing style which often blended elements of fiction and non-fiction. His works covered various genres including adventure, mystery, and historical fiction.
Early Life and Background
MacDonald Hastings grew up in a family that valued literature and the arts. His mother encouraged his love for reading from an early age. He attended Boston Latin School before pursuing higher education at Harvard University, where he graduated with honors in 1933.
Major Accomplishments
Hastings' writing career was marked by several notable accomplishments, including winning the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1948 for his book "The Look of Love." This award recognized his contributions to the mystery and thriller genres. Throughout his life, Hastings continued to write extensively, publishing numerous novels and non-fiction works that often explored historical themes.
Notable Works or Actions
Some of MacDonald Hastings' most notable works include "The Look of Love" (1947), "Death Takes a Bow" (1956), and "Tiger by the Tail" (1961). His writing style, which often blended elements of fiction and non-fiction, allowed him to tackle complex historical topics in an engaging manner. His contributions to literature have been recognized through various awards and nominations.
Impact and Legacy
MacDonald Hastings' impact on literature extends beyond his individual works. He helped shape the way writers approached historical themes, influencing generations of authors who followed in his footsteps. His unique writing style, which blurred the lines between fiction and non-fiction, paved the way for future experimentation with genre boundaries.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
MacDonald Hastings is widely quoted or remembered due to his innovative approach to storytelling, which continues to inspire writers today. His ability to craft engaging narratives around complex historical topics has left a lasting impact on the literary world. As an author who consistently pushed the boundaries of what was possible in writing, Hastings' legacy serves as a reminder of the power of creative expression and its potential to shape our understanding of the world around us.
Throughout his life, MacDonald Hastings demonstrated a remarkable ability to weave together elements of fiction and non-fiction to create captivating narratives. His commitment to exploring complex historical themes has left an enduring impact on literature, making him one of the most notable authors of his time.
Quotes by MacDonald Harris
Somewhere on the bottom of the Pacific is a copy of The Forsyte Saga I heaved overboard one afternoon. I very quickly saw what was wrong with it; Galsworthy was a gentleman, and no gentleman would ever write a good book.
I still had the sensation I was playing a role but it didn’t bother me any more, because I knew now that everybody else played a role too; it was just that some played them well and some badly.
I don’t think you have any control over who you are-it just happens. Sometimes in the morning I wake up and don’t know who I am. I have to get out of bed and open the closet door, and then I think, oh yes, I’m the girl in the red dress.
The books were a private part of me that I carried inside and guarded and didn’t talk to anybody about; as long as I had the books I could convince myself I was different from the others and my life wasn’t quite as stupid and pointless.
What happened was simple, even banal: I became naked, died, lost parts of my flesh and most of my ego along with a few illusions such as a belief in the uniqueness of my personal scrap of consciousness and the cosmic importance therof, and went on from there.
The books were a private part of me that I carried inside and guarded and didn't talk to anybody about; as long as I had the books I could convince myself I was different from the others and my life wasn't quite as stupid and pointless.
The resentment I felt inside was not hatred for being imprisoned or for Victor who had betrayed me but something deeper: a rebellion against the very way of things that condemned men to be imprisoned inside their own identities.
But I know too that if we ever make a world without shadow, if the chemists and scientists and psychologists succeed in abolishing fear, pain, loneliness, death, some of us will find life so intolerable we will probably blow out our brains out of sheer boredom.
I was naked and he had more possessions than he could use all at once. I was the proletarian, he was the capitalist, and my relations to him were reduced to the basic proposition of all revolutions: die, I want what you have. It was the first time in my life I'd taken an interest in politics.